Skill Challenge Example of Play
Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Galaxy of Intrigue Main Article: Skill Challenges The following example of play is designed to demonstrate how a Gamemaster runs a Skill Challenge and how players might act and react during the challenge. As with the example of play from the Saga Edition Core Rulebook (See Introduction), Michele is the Gamemaster during the session and runs the Skill Challenge. Chris is playing Sia-Lan, a female Human Jedi Knight, and Mike plays Rorworr, a Wookiee Scout and Gunslinger. Penny is playing a blue-skinned Elite Trooper named Vor'en, and Brian's character is Deel Surool, a canny Twi'lek Scoundrel. This example of play uses the Sample Skill Challenge Escape from Kessel. Michele (GM): After several hours of plotting, the time finally comes for you to make your escape. As the Colicoid guards herd you toward the spice mines, you see an opening when the guards are distracted, and you run into an empty tunnel. About 10 other prisoners make a run for it with you. One of those prisoners tells you that a spice freighter is sitting on a landing pad on Kessel's surface, and that you probably could steal it and escape from the planet. First, though, you've got to get away from the Calicoids and reach the ship. As you make your way through near-total darkness in the mines, you hear the sounds of pursuit not for behind. The air is thick with the smell of spice, and you know that you have only minutes in which to make your escape. This is a Skill Challenge, so each of you must contribute to the escape. What do you do? Consider how Michele set the scene, providing the basics of the surroundings and some description of the sights and sounds. She also provided a clear goal for the heroes: escape. Because she has decided to have at least some transparency, Michele informs the players that they are now in a Skill Challenge. Brian (Deel): Don't worry, everyone- I've been in tougher spots than this before. Just do what I tell you, and everything will be okay. I'd like to make a Persuasion check to try to convince some of the other prisoners that escaped with us to help us find the fastest route to the surface. Brian rolls a d20 and adds his Persuasion modifier, getting a result of 26. Michele compares this to the DC that she set for the Skill and determines that Brian's check was successful, making a note that the heroes have earned their first Success in the challenge. Michele (GM): The other prisoners seem to be on board with your leadership, and a Sullustan captive pushes his way forward and offers to take the lead in scouting ahead. It looks like you've managed to get the other prisoners' full assistance, which should prove beneficial in making your escape. Who's next? Penny (Vor'en): As the Sullustan scouts ahead, I follow close behind him in case he needs someone to watch his back. I don't want our new friend getting grabbed by a Colicaid patrol. I'd like to make a Perception check to watch for the guards and make sure the Sullustan can find a path without being captured. Penny rolls a d20 and adds her Perception modifier, getting a result of 19. Fortunately, Perception is one of the easier Skills to use in this challenge, and Michele records the success. Michele (GM): It's a good thing you did that. Just as the Sullustan seems to find a route to the surface, you hear the sound of a Colicoid patrol rounding the corner. You manage to grab the Sullustan and yank him back just in time to avoid being noticed by the guards. Once they're gone, the rest of the prisoners come forward, and you can start making your way toward the surface. What now? The last two Skill Checks are good examples of what happens when players use expected Skills. Each player described his or her character's actions, then made a Skill Check. After the result was determined, Michele described the ramifications of each action, improvising the presence of the helpful Sullustan prisoner and the near miss when Vor'en kept him from being spotted. That approach brings more excitement to the game than simply saying, "Your skill check succeeds." Chris (Sia- Lan): When Vor'en tells us how narrowly our Sullustan friend avoided being spatted, I decide to clear my mind and trust in The Force to guide us around any potential patrols. I'd like to make a Use the Force check to calm my mind and try to sense the presence of any Colicoids along our path. Since Use the Force is not one of the Skills suggested for this challenge, Michele has to decide whether to allow this action. The idea seems to be reasonable given the circumstances, and it fits Sia-Lan's character, so Michele decides to allow it. She determines that, thanks to the disorienting environment and the unfamiliar minds of the Colicoids, the Skill Check should have a Moderate difficulty- in this case, DC 28. Chris rolls a d20 and adds his Use the Force modifier, getting a result of 22. Michele notes this as a Failure, since it is more than 5 below the DC she set (The threshold defined in the Close Call effect). Michele (GM): As you extend your senses along the path, you determine that there is a cluster of Colicoid minds almost directly ahead, probably some kind of security checkpoint. However, as you focus on the path ahead, you cease to pay attention to your pursuers. Cries of fear sound from the prisoners behind you- a security patrol has caught up to your group! As some of the prisoners behind you are caught, you realize that you still have a chance to escape, but about half the prisoners who fled with you have been recaptured. Rorworr, it's your turn. What do you do? The above is a good example of allowing players to improvise their Skill use, which Michele deals with by assigning a DC based on the circumstances. Likewise, the failed Skill Check has tangible consequences- five of the prisoners were recaptured (As described in the Failure section of Escape from Kessel). Mike (Rorworr): As much as it pains me to leave them behind, it's now or never for our escape. I let out a mournful hoot and begin to move forward. I'd like to see if I can sneak us all past that security checkpoint. I'm going to make a Stealth check to move us all quickly and quietly past the Colicoids ahead, making sure that everyone remains silent as we creep by. Mike rolls a d20 and adds his Stealth modifier, getting a result of 22. This is good enough to beat the DC that Michele set, so she marks it as a Success- the third of the challenge so far. Michele (GM): Thanks to your years of evading predators on Kashyyyk, you're able to guide your allies like a hunting party right past the Colicoid security post. As you do so, you notice that the rough-hewn tunnels give way to metal floors and walls, signaling your entrance into the artificial facilities built into the surface. Within moments, you leave the darkness and enter the stark, sterile interior of the Colicaid administrative facility. The sounds of alarm klaxons blare within, so you believe that you're probably still in danger of pursuit by the guards. Now that everyone has taken an action, it's up to you guys who determine who goes next. At this point, Michele has changed the scene significantly, taking the chase out of the mines and into a service tunnel within an administrative facility. This not only provides a new backdrop for the scene but also opens up more technology-oriented Skill uses. By changing the scene, Michele keeps things fresh and helps give players new ideas for actions to try. Penny (Vor'en): The corridor that we're moving down- does it look like a fairly modern facility? Michele (GM): Yes. In fact, it looks as though this wing of the building was renovated fairly recently. Penny (Vor'en): Okay, I'm going to try to find a computer panel and see if I can pull up a schematic of the facility so we can find our way to the landing pad. Michele (GM): Finding a computer is no problem. Would you like to make a Use Computer check to try to bring up the schematic? The system's on lockdown, but you might be able to get through the security. Penny (Vor'en): Sure. Michele determines that this is probably a Hard challenge, given that the heroes are in a prison facility in lockdown mode, so she sets the DC at 32. Penny rolls a d20 and adds her Use Computer modifier. Knowing that the Skill Check will be difficult, Penny decides to spend a Force Point to augment her result. The final result is 32 exactly, which Michele marks as a Success. Michele (GM): Success! Not only do you bring up the schematics, but you also find a good path through the facility that seems to take you directly to the landing pad. It's a bit of a distance to travel, and you've still got five other prisoners in tow, but you think you can make it there if you hustle. Who's next? Chris (Sia-Lan): Since we're inside the facility and away from the mines, there are probably security devices tracking our movements. I'd like to use The Force to pull down any security cameras or sensors that I see, blinding the building's security forces to our activities. Michele determines that this action is reasonable and much easier than trying to detect the Colicoids (Since the security devices cannot really resist the Jedi's efforts). so she assigns the check a Medium DC of 23. Chris rolls a d20, adding his Use the Force modifier for a total of 27. Michele marks this as a Success- the fifth accrued in the challenge so far. Michele (GM): Great work! As you follow the directions that Vor'en continues to issue, you start using The Force to wrench free any security devices you see. The shouts of pursuit come from elsewhere. You think you've temporarily confused the guards because it takes them a moment to figure out which direction you're going. What now? Mike (Rorworr): Does it look like we're getting close to the landing pad? Michele (GM): So far, you've basically come up through hallways that are used to access the mines. However, thanks to your Sullustan friend, you entered through an area that's some kind of heavy machinery entronce, so you haven't run into many Colicoids. You're approaching the more heavily trafficked areas now. Although you guess that you're not far from the landing pad, more caution might be called for. Mike (Rorworr): Right. Good to know. Given that, I'd like to see how much I know about Colicoid biology. Do I think they are hindered by Darkness? Michele (GM): You can make a Knowledge (Life Sciences) check to see. Mike (Rorworr): Okay, I rolled a 16. Michele (GM): You don't think they have the ability to see in the dark. Since that wasn't something directly contributing to your escape, you can still take an Action. The above is a good example of improvising Skills (Use the Force) and using Skills that do not directly contribute to the Skill Challenge (Knowledge (Life Sciences)) . Mike (Rorworr): I'd like to see if I can find a power conduit nearby to disrupt some of the lights between here and the landing pad. We should have a better chance of escaping under cover of darkness. Michele (GM): There are power conduits throughout the walls of this service passageway. You'd need to make a Mechanics check to disable the lights down the corridor. Since the facility is of fairly recent construction, Michele sets a Medium DC of 23 for this Skill Check. Mike rolls a d20, adds his Mechanics modifier, and gets a result of 24. Michele notes it as a Success. The heroes have now accrued six Successes and one Failure. Michele (GM): As the lights flicker and go out, you hear Rorworr offer a triumphant growl in the darkness. Unfortunately, it's pretty dark for you, too, but the landing pad seems to be near the end of this service tunnel. As you make your way down the passage, a loud clatter and the harsh sounds of an alien language warn you that Colicoid guards are stumbling around blindly through the tunnels. After a few moments, they move on, not having found you. You travel a few more minutes and enter a passageway that still has some emergency lighting and leads to the landing pad. As promised, the GX1 Short Hauler sits on the pad beneath a magnetic field that keeps out the Vacuum outside. You dash up the open ramp, herding the five remaining prisoners up with you, and not a moment too soon as Colicoid guards and droidekas begin spilling out of the passageway you just left. Once inside the ship, you close the hatch, but upon arriving in the cockpit, you find that the ship's design- meant for Colicoids- is completely alien. Even the computer displays information in an unfamiliar language. Deel, you're next. Michele has once again changed the scene, moving the action into the GX1 Short Hauler that the heroes will use to escape. They need only two more Successes to finish the Skill Challenge, and the confines of the ship should offer at least a few new opportunities for the heroes to use their Skills. Brian (Deel): I'm no good piloting an alien ship, especially if I can't read the controls. I'd like to make a Use Computer check to see if I can have the computer automatically translate everything into Basic. Michele determines that such translation is probably a common function for most ship computers and gives the check an Easy DC of 18. Brian rolls a d20 and adds his Use Computer modifier for a total result of 18- a lucky thing that making the changeover was so easy. Michele notes the Success. Michele (GM): Deel spends a few moments tinkering with the computers, then familiar Aurebesh letters suddenly scroll across the screen. Meanwhile, the ring of laser fire striking the ship grows more frequent and it looks like the enemy is within seconds of reaching the vessel. Everyone has taken a second Action, so anyone can act next. What do you do? Brian (Deel): Time to blast off. Everyone strap in; this could be a bumpy ride. I drop into the pilot's chair, fire up the engines, and punch it! I'll make a Pilot check to get us out of here. Michele determines that because the heroes are inside the ship, blasting off is a pretty easy way to get to freedom, so she sets an Easy DC of 18. Brian rolls a d20, adds his Pilot modifier, and gets a result of 25. Because the heroes have earned eight Successes before accruing three Failures, they succeed on the Skill Challenge. Michele (GM): As the engines roar to life, the ship blasts away from the landing pad. Red blaster bolts streak up from below, flashing past the cockpit window, but within moments, you're well out of range. However, your sensor board begins to light up. It looks like the Colicoids have scrambled some Starfighters to intercept your escape...